The Great Circus Train Robbery by Nancy Means Wright Read Free Book Online Page A

across the lawn. I majored in zoology in college, you know.”
    “Uh-huh. And you saw the light again?’
    “Yes, it was moving away from your house, Spence. Oh dear, he must have had your baggage car! If I’d only thought—”
    “But you didn’t know,” Zoe said.   “About any thief, I mean.”
    “So where did the person with the light go?” Spence was so anxious he was quivering.  Some of the soup spilled out into the damp grass. Miss Maud squealed and took the pot from him.
    “That’s just it,” said Miss Gertie. “All at once the light went out. And I couldn’t see where the person went. The last I saw the light it was on the edge of your front lawn.”
    “Which edge?” Spence asked. “North or south?” “Um,  well,  south,  I think—yes.  Downstreet.  He was headed downstreet.”
    “Toward Mr. Boomer’s house,” Miss Maud explained. “Oh I knew it, Gertie! That man’s up to no good over there. Any man who won’t open the door to a couple of old ladies with a pot of soup!” She shook her head at the thought and more soup spilled into the grass.
    “There was one more thing,” Miss Gertie said.
    “Yes?” They all turned to her.
    “Gertie? Maud? Come on in. I’m just finishing up.” It was Mrs. Riley, calling through the open window. “More soup? How nice.” Her pupil was stuffing her piano book into a backpack and a lollypop into her mouth. Mrs. Riley always gave her pupils colored lollies when they left. Red for excellent, yellow for good, green for fair, purple for poor. The little girl was sucking on a green. From what she heard through the window, Zoe would’ve given her a purple.
    “What was it, Miss Gertie?   What was that one more thing?” Spence asked.
    But Miss Gertie just shook her head. “It’s gone clean out of my head. I’ll let you know if it comes back in.” She trotted into the Rileys’ house behind Maud.
    Zoe looked at her watch with horror. It was six-thirty and she had to gobble supper and then change her clothes to go with Ms. Delores. “You want to come with me to meet the circus lady?” she asked Spence. “I’m sure Ms. Delores won’t mind.”
    “Maybe,” said Spence. “But right now I’m gonna make me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I don’t want any of that petunia soup!”
     

10
     

A PLUMP CLOWN AND A PUG IN A TUTU
     
    The adoptive niece couldn’t be a tightrope walker, Zoe observed, because no rope could hold her weight. But she had the most intriguing face Zoe had ever seen: wide-set, shiny eyes the color of fresh green peas, a broad pink nose, and white-painted cheeks with a plump dimple in the middle of each. Her hands were light brown, her fingernails and toenails a shade of purple. Her hair was dyed to match the nails; it flowed over her shoulders and ended in thick loopy curls. She wore a glittery emerald-green tutu over black tights laced with sequins.
    Zoe was enchanted.
    They were sitting in the cramped living room of the Airstream RV that the niece Tulip shared with her pug Lulu, who was wearing a matching green tutu. She kept the dog leashed until he calmed down and stopped jumping into the visitors’ laps.
    “This girl wants to help with the circus,” Ms. Delores said after she’d introduced the two children—for Spence came too, at the last minute, needing to get his mind off the missing baggage car. “She already knows how to juggle, don’t you, dear,” Ms. Delores said, patting Zoe’s head.
    “Three balls, not four yet,” said Zoe before Spencer could open his mouth to object. With Spence coming, she’d decided to leave her juggling balls at home. “But I thought you might be able to use someone to take tickets, or maybe help zip people up when they change costumes.” The zipping had only just occurred to her. The thought of being part of the backstage excitement sent pebbles skipping down her spine.
    “We-ell, I’m sure I could use some backstage help. My favorite costume is a bit, well, tight,